Sheep Wool as a Construction Material for Energy Efficiency Improvement

Azra Korjenic, Sanela Klarić, Almedina Hadžić and Sinan Korjenic
Additional contact information
Azra Korjenic: Institute for Building Construction and Technology, Research Centre of Building Physics and Sound Protection, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/206-2, 1040 Vienna, Austria
Sanela Klarić: Department of Architecture, International Burch University, Francuske revolucije bb, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Almedina Hadžić: Department of Product Design, Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo, Obala Kulina Bana 7/II, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sinan Korjenic: Institute for Building Construction and Technology, Research Centre of Building Construction and Technology, Vienna University of Technology, Karlsplatz 13/206-4, 1040 Vienna, Austria

Energies, 2015, vol. 8, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: The building sector is responsible for 40% of the current CO 2 emissions as well as energy consumption. Sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings are currently being evaluated, not only based on thermal insulation qualities and energy demands, but also based on primary energy demand, CO 2 reductions and the ecological properties of the materials used. Therefore, in order to make buildings as sustainable as possible, it is crucial to maximize the use of ecological materials. This study explores alternative usage of sheep wool as a construction material beyond its traditional application in the textile industry. Another goal of this research was to study the feasibility of replacement of commonly used thermal insulations with natural and renewable materials which have better environmental and primary energy values. Building physics, energy and environmental characteristics were evaluated and compared based on hygrothermal simulation and ecological balance methods. The observations demonstrate that sheep wool, compared with mineral wool and calcium silicate, provides comparable thermal insulation characteristics, and in some applications even reveals better performance.

Keywords: energy efficiency; primary energy reduction; CO2 reduction; natural and renewable building materials; sheep wool; hygrothermal simulation; ecological balance method (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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